Acquaintances
by bioticboomer
Summary: Every now and then, Aria slips up and allows her impatience to get the better of her. The results are never pleasing.


A/N: I tried to write this so that people could read their 'relationship/acquaintance' in any way they like. Friends/Acquaintances/Bromance/Aria-has-dirt-on-the-councillor/Fuckbuddies…

This is just something I came up with while waiting for 8 hours at the airport for my plane. It was originally posted in one of my other tumblr accounts. Enjoy.

* * *

The music at Purgatory begins again. Aria frowns, displeasure obvious in her face. This is the third repetition of the same assort of the dullest alien music she has ever been privy to in her entire long life.

Three times she has had to listen to the exact same set of angry krogan screaming (because there was no way in hell she would ever call that _noise _offending her hearing capabilities music), sleep-inducing asari melodies, and—goddess help her—hanar rapping. That last one had only just been recently introduced to her, and she already regrets ever having been exposed to it in the first place. Not like she could have helped it, though. It was like the club tried its' damnedest to make a name for itself by subscribing to an album titled "The Galaxy's Worst: 2180 Edition".

Or maybe it was the other way around. Maybe the fictional album was inspired by Purgatory's song selection. She's certain that the music taste here would live up to that standard, at least.

"…fucking hell," she says to no one in particular.

"Boss."

Her assistant breaks the several long hours of silence between them. She welcomes the conversational prompt but makes no outward show of it. She spares him a sidelong stare. He continues. "You've got an incoming transmission from the asari councillor. Should I patch it through right now?"

The councillor? That was interesting. They'd only just finished a call a few hours ago when C-Sec had come in demanding that she be processed and before Shepard had come to talk business.

Aria stands up. "No. I'll take care of it," she replies easily, heading to one of the larger private booths in the club where one of agents is posted. As soon as he recognizes her, the turian guard nods, steps aside to let her in, and shuts the door behind his employer-of-sorts.

Turning around to make sure the door is properly locked and secure, Aria summons up her omnitool and takes the call. A holograph of the asari councillor appears in an instant, her face not displeased but carefully neutral. Aria isn't fooled by it.

"Tevos. Is there a problem?" Aria starts.

"That was a very sly and underhanded move you pulled back in our last conversation, Aria," the councillor replies smoothly. "Calling my direct line in the presence of a C-Sec officer like that in public."

"Your pets are in desperate need of knowing their place while they're around me."

"Maybe. But thanks to you, I now have various people from the media demanding answers regarding our relationship. Answers that I will have to provide sooner or later."

_Oh for fuck's sake…_

Aria narrows her eyes dangerously. She didn't know whether she wanted to laugh or make a face at the speculations that were apparently already running rampant. Didn't people have better things to talk about on this damn station than one lousy call between her and Tevos? Apparently not.

In the end, Aria does neither. She remains silent.

"Our acquaintance, if that pleases you," Tevos amends.

"It doesn't," she snaps, before sighing. "Should I be offended that I haven't been approached about this yet? I must have scared C-Sec away better than I thought."

Tevos brushes the jab against Citadel Security off. It is a well-known fact that Aria thinks C-Sec is a joke and the comment doesn't surprise her. "Regardless of the truth that may or may not be behind those words, the other council members are now also curious. It was difficult enough convincing them to let you on the Citadel in the first place, and their rightful mistrust of you, coupled with this incident…" she trails off momentarily before recovering. "…it doesn't look good for either of us, especially not on my end."

"So you called for me to complain?"

The other asari takes the question in stride. "I called to inform you that I may be forced to release a statement in the near future addressing—as well as alleviating—their concerns. I suggest keeping a close eye on the news so that our stories coincide should you be questioned on this topic."

At that, Aria raises a brow. "Why don't you just tell me what you plan on saying to them now?"

"No. I haven't decided on what I'm going to say just yet."

"You're not making this any easier for me to agree with."

"It can't be helped. I need time to come up with something that won't implicate me and threaten either of our positions. Something that will keep the people satisfied and stop pressing this pointless issue when there are more serious concerns to deal with." Tevos pauses. "Need I remind you that this would not have been a problem had you not gone off and requested for me personally? I rather think you owe me one for making both of our lives difficult, this time."

Aria crosses her arms, not liking that the blame had all but been placed on her, but also knowing that Tevos had a point and that the blame _was_ rightfully placed. "No need for that," she says sharply, shaking her head. The turn of events is particularly displeasing. C-Sec had all but forced her hand into calling Tevos that time (Well, not quite. But they had caught Aria in one of her particularly foul and impatient moods) and now she was in a mess that she had neither the time nor patience to deal with.

"Fine. In that case, I'll keep tabs on your story. Goddess knows that'll be more entertaining and less of a challenge for me to watch than your station's other programs."

"I'm glad you're getting something out of this," Tevos replies sarcastically.

Aria's response is just as dry. "I do love a good challenge every now and then."

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

"This is a challenge for you, then? This whole situation you've gotten yourself into with me?"

A pause, a momentary lapse into silence.

Aria deliberates over the many replies she can choose to answer Tevos with. Truths and lies; half-truths and white lies…

"…I haven't decided yet," she offers finally.

Aria cuts off the communication before the other asari even has the chance to respond.


End file.
